In a heartfelt and emotional moment, Zayed Khan opened up about the criticism his family faced after performing his mother Zarine Khan’s last rites according to Hindu rituals. The actor addressed the trolling that followed and making it clear that the decision was based purely on her final wish, not on religious labels and how they believe in being united yet with different cultural followings.
Zarine Khan, who passed away on November 7 last year, lived a life that reflected unity beyond religion. Born into a Parsi family and married to a Muslim man she chose to live in her own way without strictly following one path. However, her final rites became a topic of debate online.
Zarine Khan was not just known as a former actress and interior designer but also as someone who valued family above everything. She believed in living a secular life where religion remained personal and never defined relationships.
Despite being from a Parsi background and married into a Muslim household, she did not convert and followed her own beliefs. This is why, when her last rites were performed as per Hindu traditions, it led to mixed reactions on social media.
But for the family, the intention was simple.. to honour her last wish.
Speaking in an interview with Zoom, Zayed shared how his family sees religion. He explained that for them, humanity comes first.
He said, “We as a family find religion to be something very personal to you, and how you want to approach it, and not something which is better and which is worse. These are not things that are good to say. We define ourselves by being a very secular family, and we don’t need to say why.”
He also spoke about how their household reflects this belief. From staff members belonging to different religions to supporting their families and education, the idea has always been to live with inclusivity.
During the conversation, Zayed recalled a quiet moment with his mother that stayed with him forever. Sitting by a calm river, she had shared something simple yet meaningful. He remembered, “The thought just passed her head, saying that ‘if I ever go, I want my ashes to flow in this river. I want to be free.’” That one moment became the guiding force behind their decision.
While the trolling hurt, Zayed chose to respond with calmness instead of anger. He made it clear that fulfilling a loved one’s last wish matters more than public opinion. He added, “Whatever your mother’s last wishes, it will be done. It doesn’t matter what other people say. It doesn’t matter how hateful they can be. I don’t blame them, halat aise hai (situation is such), unfortunately. Unn halaton ko badalne mein waqt lagega (It will take time to change those circumstances).” His words reflected both pain and understanding, showing that he chose empathy over reaction.
Zarine Khan is survived by her husband Sanjay Khan and their children- son Zayed and daughters Sussanne, Farah and Simone Arora. The couple had completed 59 years of marriage in April last year, marking a long and strong partnership.
